Brown Loses Opener at St. Peter’s

Brown news release…

Jersey City, N.J. – Freshman Antwon Portley scored 30 points in his first collegiate game and St. Peter’s used a 24-5 run to overcome a nine-point second half deficit and rally for a 77-65 win over Brown at the Yanitelli Center in the season opening game for both teams. 

Brown led by nine points in the second half, 56-47, when junior Tavon Blackmon (Upper Marlboro, MD) connected on two free throws with 9:12 left to play.

The Peacocks mounted a furious comeback, outscoring the Bears 24-5 over the next 7:18 minutes to take control of the game, 71-61, on a trey by Trevis Wyche, who scored nine of his 14 points in the decisive run.

The loss overshadowed a yeoman’s effort by Brown’s two-time Ivy league Defensive Player of the Year Cedric Kuakumensah (Worcester, MA), who registered a double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds. Kukumensah also blocked two shots and now has 237 career blocks, just 15 short of the all-time Ivy mark of 252 blocked shots.

Blackmon led all Brown scorers with 13 points and five assists, while junior Steven Spieth (Dallas, TX) also scored in double figures with 10 points and eight rebounds.

Junior JR Hobbie (Spring Lake, NJ) tossed in nine points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field, while freshman Corey Daugherty (Barrington, RI) scored eight points for the Bears in his collegiate debut before fouling out in the waning moments of the game.

Portley scored his 30 points on 10-of-21 shooting from the field and 7-of-9 shooting from the free throw line.

The opening 30 minutes proved to be a game of swings. St. Peter’s early 12-2 run gave the Peacocks a 14-7 lead. Brown immediately answered with a 17-3 spurt to give the Bears a 24-17 lead with 5:24 left in the half following a dunk by freshman Travis Fuller (Encinitas, CA).

Brown led 32-30 at the half, but trailed 40-38 after a Portley basket with 14:19 remaining.  Two free throws by Blackman, back-to-back treys by Daugherty and Hobbie and two free throws by Kuakumensah lifted the Bears to a 48-40 lead with 12:37 left on the clock. A quick St. Peter’s basket was countered by another Hobbie trey to give Brown a 51-42 lead.

The Peacocks clawed back into the game took their first lead, 60-58, on a Chazz Patterson jump shot.

Brown is back in action again on Monday, November 16, hosting Patriot League rival Holy Cross in its first home game of the season at the Pizzitola Sports Center.  Tip-off is 7:00 pm.